Summertime Sewing

So, I guess I'm not the only one who makes clothing for children from tea towels, etc.... I haven't read this yet, but when I got my Sew Beautiful magazine out of my mail box the first thing I noticed on the cover was "simple heirloom outfits from linen towels" ! I should have sent my photos to Martha Pullen!! LOL! Oh well, it's good to know that others like my idea, too.


Yesterday, I stopped at a fabric store that's not far from me that is family owned. I've mentioned this place before. It is a rare occasion that I don't find what I'm looking for there, no matter how weird. I have found fabric to make a tin man costume, several mermaid costumes, turtle costumes, etc...... But, they have normal stuff, too. I bought these two transportation print fabrics to use in the future for something for our Little Man. I don't know what I'll make yet, but something will come up sometime.

Another thing that they have is a BARRELL full of buttons!! I mean a BIG barrel right in the middle of the store. There is a coffee mug laying on top of all the buttons. You can buy a cup full for $1.00. I bought 3 cup fulls. I haven't really had a chance to see the treasures I got, but I do love buttons and I'm sure I will find some great ones.

Next, I bought 3 panels of a pre-printed doll dress pattern. They are all the same. I have only made one thing from one of these pre-printed patterns before, and have never really thought about doing it again, until I saw this fabric. This will fit the American Girl Dolls that 3 of my grand daughters have. I think these will be cute.

One of the CNAs at the nursing home was wearing these pants to her scrub outfit that the nursing home issued her when she started working there. The inseam on one leg was completely raveling all the way down. And.... the upper-inner legs were pretty thread bare. I told her that I would fix the seam. I didn't realize they were so thread bare. I hope she doesn't mind that I took it upon myself to reinforce that area.


A lady asked me to make two chair covers for her outside pvc pipe chairs. They are just two straight rectangles with a casing at each end and one in the middle. I think I've written about this before. Anyway, I finished these. There weren't many fabrics to choose from for outdoors at our Walmart, but I thought this was ok. She said she didn't care what colors, etc.... This lady works at the place where I go to get my hair cut and my nails done. (Yes, I go every two weeks to have my nails done. I started doing that after my girls had all graduated from college. I decided it was my turn to do something for myself, and besides my real nails are AWFUL! Sometimes I feel guilty about indulging myself this way, but not too often.)

Below are the 4th of July "summer" outfits that I have cut out for my grands. First, is Little Man's. He's getting a red, white, and blue striped shirt and white shorts.

The girls' outfits will be reversible. Kellen and Jenna are getting the dress with the tie back. This actually is only one pattern piece. The front and back are attached. There is a dart at the shoulder! The front wraps around and ties in the back. I was amazed and happy to see this. How easy can it get! Rather than binding the edges, I'm going to sew two fabrics together. Both have the same red, white, and blue stripe as Little Man's shirt. Kellen's has a window-pane red and white patterned fabric for the reverse side. Jenna's has red with white stars. I will either edge these with rick rack or piping.

Riley and Emory are getting little sun suits. Riley's will be a little longer so the bloomers won't show so much. After all, she is 3 1/2, such a big girl. Emory's will be like the pattern shows. I am using this adorable Mary Englebreit fabric that says, "Best friends," and "just between us", etc.... It has cute little girls doing cute little girl friend kinds of things. It reminds me of my reading book in first grade. Some of you will remember, Dick, Jane, May, and Jip! LOL! Anyway, Riley's is reversible using the blue and the red of this fabric. Emory's is the blue of this fabric and a red with white stars for the reverse side, (you can see a little bit of the star fabric in the center of the photo. These two will be edged with piping. I've already started Emory's.

I didn't know what fabric I was going to use for whom when I bought it. I really wasn't sure of the patterns I was going to use. Therefore, everyone's is somewhat different, but coordinating. I hope to get all 5 of them in one photo in these outfits later on in the summer when we are all getting together. Yea!!! I can't wait!

Whoa!!!!! Our power just went off and back on in seconds. I just knew that I would have lost this post and have to start over, but it was still here!